Tesla has demonstrated a substantially redesigned second-generation Roadster at a SpaceX facility near McGregor, Texas. During the 15 October local-time presentation, the prototype travelled upside down on a purpose-built ramp and used compressed-gas thrusters for airborne manoeuvres. Reports published after the evening show were already dated 16 October in UTC. The spectacle provided the clearest evidence yet of a working vehicle, but it did not amount to a production launch or a road-homologation announcement.
Tesla and SpaceX engineers have combined two distinct systems. Powerful fans create suction beneath the car to add grip, including during its inverted demonstration. Thrusters supplied by high-pressure gas vessels generate forces that do not depend on tyre contact. Tesla engineering executive Lars Moravy described a system using ten thrusters and 600 litres of compressed gas for the airborne manoeuvres.
The company has outlined three configurations. The two-seat Performance version uses active aerodynamics and a suction system. Thrust retains two seats and adds rear-facing cold-gas thrusters. Rocket is a single-seat variant with thrusters arranged to produce vertical movement and rotation. Tesla claims that thruster-equipped versions can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than a second, with an even more extreme figure advertised for Rocket. These are manufacturer claims, not independently verified road-test results.
Tesla also describes a range of roughly 300 miles and a top speed exceeding 230 mph. Those specifications differ from several of the targets publicised when the second-generation Roadster was first shown in 2017. The revised design has sharper surfaces and a cabin built around a steer-by-wire yoke.
Elon Musk has now pointed to 2028 for production, but no final vehicle price or firm delivery schedule was announced. Tesla is accepting reservations for some configurations. The airborne Rocket version is not approved for public-road use.
The gap between a controlled demonstration and a customer car remains substantial. In Texas, Tesla showed that its engineers could make the prototype perform unusual stunts. Whether the same systems will reach customers, in which form and under what regulations, remains unanswered.